To obtain patent/utility model, design, and trademark rights, it is necessary to have a detailed technical understanding of an invention and discussions on the content of the rights to be obtained and to carry out the procedure known as ‘filing’ with the patent office. However, the procedure from filing an application to acquisition of rights is extremely complex and specialist knowledge is essential.

Intellectual property attorneys handle the procedures for obtaining rights on behalf of clients. Representation of clients in filing patent applications in Japan is a specialized area of practice in which only patent attorneys are authorized to represent clients, and is the main activity of patent law firms.

If a client wishes to obtain rights in a foreign country, we will assist the client in obtaining the rights in that country in cooperation with a patent law firm in the foreign country. We are proud of our extensive experience in obtaining rights not only in major countries, but also in emerging countries.

We also handle appeals and litigations related to intellectual property both within Japan and overseas.
Our firm handles an increasing number of infringement litigation cases in foreign countries in recent years. In such cases, the firm works together with the foreign representative by providing technical support to the foreign representative through internet conferences and face-to-face meetings.

In order to facilitate such cooperation, the firm makes every effort to build deep personal relationships with the foreign representatives and we have great pride in the reliable international network that we have built.

When an application is to be filed abroad, it is common practice to translate it into English and ask an overseas agent to do so. This Japanese-English translation is carried out by in-house staff specializing in IP field translation.  Not only are these translators able to work in close cooperation with our attorneys, they also have access to in-house translation database which allows them to keep the translated document consistent in terms of terminology and expressions used.

We also have a full-time translator who is a native Chinese speaker and can provide the same service for Japanese-Chinese translations.

Further, we also have skilled in-house CAD technicians who specialize in the IP field. They make effective use of in-house CAD data and work closely with patent attorneys to ensure high-quality, efficient drawing preparation.

Applications for IP rights in Japan are not only made by Japanese companies and individuals. There are large numbers of companies and people around the world filing patent, utility model, design, and trademark applications in Japan.
At ATEN, we take great pride in our history of supporting international clients and look forward to having further opportunities to assist inventors around the world in protecting their valuable IP rights here.